Adhesive supply roller for labeling machine pickers



May l2, 1953 s. T. CARTER 2,538,073

ADHESIVE SUPPLY ROLLER FOR LABELING MACHINE PIcxERs Filed July 1l, 1950 Patented May 12, r1953 if;

STATES PATENT: @itil-cli-K 4 I j Aoscsivcsopctxic FoniLAecmNG i i.

'SidneyT.-Carter,` Worcester, Massi, assigner,` by mesne assignments; to Gem'J. `Meyer Manus facturing En., .Cdahb Wisin corporation of Wisconsin Implication July 11', 1950, Serial No. 173,090

o ,This invention pertains to material applying milsj` more especially' to an improved roll for ape; ill-ying gum. to the: surface of the label-picking clement of a labeling` machine. :In my copcncing application for Letters Patenti `Serial No. 161131, ed June 9, 195.0, now Patent No. 2,609,305, I have disclosed a labeling machine wherein the gmnis applied to a picker bye Toller Whose axis is always in the same'plane {atleast} during the gum-applying; operation) while the .surface of the picker to which the gum iscpplied may, at times, lie in either of two spaced adjacent planes parallel to 'the plane` of the roll axis. In order that the periphery ci the roll may Contact the picker when the latter is in` either of its :gum-receiving positions it is requisitethat the roll be of such construction or so supported that .its clcctive radius at the point of contact with the picker may Vary, at least, by the spacing ,of the two planes which the picker may occupy while receiving gum. In my aforesaidapplication I have .described a. `gllimfapplyingroll which isOf soft rulclcor and ,so designed as to he capable of very `clibs-tantial variations in .con tact radius. Such a roll is velieotive for :the iii-- tended purpose so long as the labels whichl are to be applied are not of excessive width, but if large lahelsare to be applied, necessitating :the ase of a very lone gumetransfer roll, the force necessary to compress `such a rubber roll (as .that disclosed in the aforesaid aiiplicf'ition) to its smallest working radiusiresnlts in ia contact pressurei'whch is excessive for optimum spreading of the gum..

The 'present invention has for its `principal object the provision of the Ymaterial-applying roll .so devised that its effective contact radius. while it is applying the material, is variable to a subst'cntial amount Without requiring encessive contact pressure. `il further `object is to prou yide a gumapplying roll foi' use in a labeling machine in which the axis of :the gum-applying roll is always in thc saine plane While the surface of the picker to which the gum is appledmay, at times, lie in either of two spaced adjacent planes parallel to lthe plane ofthe roll axis. A further object is to provide.a'inaterialeapplying roll having a cylindrical applying element of substantially unchanging diameter but so supported that the radial distance` between its axis of rotation `and the picker contacting element of the roll may vary to a substantial extent. A `mthei object is to provide a gum-applying roll, or'use in labeling machines, having a `cylindrical lgumapplying roll of hard, :substantially.iinyilding 2 materiel, the roll having a rigid supporting sha but with provision for permitting the roll to move .bodily radiallytof the shaft in `opposition torce silient means tending to keep the roll centered I on the sha-ft. other and further objects andan/f vantages` of the invention will 'be pointed `out in the following more detailed description .and by reference to the accompanying; drawings wherein Fic. l.` is a longitudinal,- .diametrical section through a roll embodying the invention; f i Fig.- 2. is an end elevation yof the roll; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a resilient element used. in 'tile construction of "the roll; i 1, Fig. fl is end .elevation ofthe `resilient 611e@ ment of Fig. 3; and f i Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic Views showing two different relations of the roll and the picker' of a labeling machine. Referring to the dra-Wings, and particularly to Figs. E and E, the letter P designates the picker of a labeling machine, shown as having thehoii.- zontal upper surfaces to which the elim is apfplied. At times, duringthe Voperation of the labeling machine, the picker occupies the posi#` tion shown in Fig. 5 wherein mecum-receiving surface s is in the horizontal piane indicated by the line W---Zi Whiie at othec trinosiiii :the operation of the machine 'surface S,'-when receiving com. lies in a different horizontalplcnc riesignat-ed by the line X-u-Y.- WVlienA Veither of these positions the nicher receives gum from a `grim-- transfer roll mounted on a shaft whose ecris, at least during the gum-applying operation, always lies in the same horizontal plane, this plane being designated in Fig. 5 by the `line C-D and in iiilgj 6 by the line A-Bi it 'being understood tha-tithe' lines A--B and C-D indicate the saine hlcrifzoir talplane. While the ax-is of the shaft which oars` ries the' gum-transfer roll alwaysflies in this same horizontal plane (designated 'by the j A-B and C-Di the cylindrical cumazol s ron Ic itself (in order that it may Contact ne surfaces of the picker in either of the positions shown in 5 and G) is arranged for bodily movement relative to the axis of its supporting shaft l l so that it becomes eccentric to saidsliat when applying gfuin to the picker surface. "While it is possible thatn one of the posi'ticmsj for example `the position shown in Fig. 6, the euml applying .element of `the roll may lhe concentric with the axis of the shaft, it is preferred, vin oocordance `with the present invention, that it 'pe eccentric to the axis of the shaft inhoth positions"` of thepiclcer. in order to insure a proper spread k This roll Ill, in accordance with the present invention, is illustrated more fully in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. As shown, this roll I is of an axial length several times its diameter, as is requisite when, in apparatus of the type to which the invention-pertains, vit is required to apply gum to very large labels. The shaft II of this roll is rigid and intended to be held stationary, that is non-rotatably, in suitablesupporting means (not j shown) forming a part of thelabeling machine structure. For example, the opposite ends of the example, it is to be understood that the invenshaft may be held xed in suitably shaped sockets in a horizontally movingtransfer carriage'.

On the shaft I I there is mounted a sleeve I2, pref-l erably of an internal diameter somewhat greater than the internal diameter of the shaft and having at each end an inserted bearing bushing I3,

for example of bronze, nylon, powdered metal, or

other suitable bearing material, the vsleeve I2-f turning freely on the shaft I I.

Surroundingthe sleeve is a cylindrical shell `I4 which may be of steel or other suitable material, but which is substantially rigid, that is to say it does not yield radially or become deformed in response to the pressures to which it is subjected during the gumming operation. This shell is preferably provided with inwardly directed radial ilanges I5 and I6 at its opposite ends and is normally coaxial with the shaft II. Within the Achamber Il, between the outer surface of the sleeve I2 and the inner surface of the shell I4, there is arranged yieldable supporting means for the shell such that the latter may be considered to float on the sleeve I2 with permissive bodily movement in a radial direction relatively to the shaft so that the shell may, at times, become eccentric with reference to the axis of the shaft II. As here illustrated, this yieldable supporting means consists of a series of coiled springs Ill (Figs. 3 and 4). While a single spring might be employed (extending throughout the length of the roll) it is preferred to use a plurality of shorter springs assembled together, since such shorter springs are easier to manufacture; are useful in making up rolls of different lengths; and in assembled relation providing greater uniformity of support throughout the length of the shell. As illustrated, each spring I8 comprises end coils I9 and 20 of rela-` tively large diameter, and intermediate coils 2I, at least one of which, 2Ie, is of an internal diameter such as snugly to embrace the sleeve I2, the coils Afl!) and being of a diameter to fit snugly within the shell I4. In assembling the parts thenecessary number of springs is threadedjover the sleeve I2 and disposed within thechamber II, the large end coils of adjacent springs abutting each other and the outer endmost coils of the series engaging the inner surfaces `of the flanges I5 and I6. The arrange-e ment is such that the springs are under some axial compression when so installed, thus holding the parts in proper assembled relation so that each of the springs bears with substantially the same pressure against the inner surface of the shell I4. 'Ihe ends of the chamber I1 are preferably closed by washers 23 held in place by pins 24 passing through the shaft II. While the outer surface of the metal shell I4 may, itself, constitute the gum-applying element, it is preferredto provide a jacket 22 of nonmetallic material embracing the shell I4 and which actually applies the gum to the picker. This jacket 242 may be of any suitable material having such a degree of resiliency., as maybe tion is broadly inclusive of any and all modcations falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a labeling machine picker having a surface designed to receive a coating of gum while said surface lies in either of one or the other, respectively, of two parallel planes, a roll for applying gum to said picker surface and a shaft on'which the roll is mounted, the axis of the roll-shaft lying in a single predetermined plane, which is spaced from but parallel to the gum-receiving surface of the picker whether the gum-receiving surface of the picker occupies one or the other of said gum-receiving positions, the roll being of an axial length at least as great asv the width of the picker surface to which the gum is applied, characterized in thatv the gum-applying roll comprises a substantially rigid vcylindrical shell whose outer peripheral surface constitutes the gum-applying element, and resilient means normally centering the shell relatively to the axis of the roll-shaft, said resilient centering means being so constructed and arranged as to permit the shell to contact the gum-receiving surface of the picker while the axis of the rollshaft lies in said predetermined plane and when the picker occupies either one or the otherof said gum-receiving positions, respectively.

2. In combinationvwith a labeling machine picker having a surface which receives a coating of gum while said surface lies in either of one or the other, respectively, of two parallel planes, a roll for applying gum to said picker surface and a shaft on which the roll is mounted, the axis of the roll-shaft lying in a single predetermined plane, which is spaced from but parallel to the gum-receiving surfaceV of the picker whether the gum-receiving surface ofthe picker occupies one or the other of said gum-receiving positions, the roll being of an axial length at least as great as the width of the picker surface t0 which the gum is applied, characterizedv in that the roll comprises a unitary, substantially rigid shell encased in a layer of resilient, nonmetallic material having a durometer hardness of the order of 35 and whose outer peripheral surface constitutes the gum-applying element; the roll being arranged to turn freely on its shaft, and' roll-centering means comprising at least one open-coiled spring coaxial with 'the roll-shaft, said roll-centering means normally supporting the shell in coaxial relation to the shaft, the roll-centering means being so designed that said shell-encasing layer of theroll may contact the gum-receiving surface of the picker when the axis of the roll lies in said predetei-, mined plane `and whether the picker occupies either one` or the other of its `gum-receiving positions. y

3. In combination with a labelingmachine picker having a surface which receives a coating of gum while said surface lies in eitherof one 

